Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print control device, a print control method, and a program which cause a printing apparatus to print access information for accessing an external device.
Description of the Related Art
There is a case in which authentication processing for registering user information is performed in order to utilize a service provided on an Internet site. As such authentication processing, a method for issuing a right of use as an access token is available.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-113696 describes a technique in which when a user inputs, using a multifunction printer (MFP), a provisional registration ID acquired by a personal computer (PC), a Web server which provides a service issues an access token to the MFP.
A method for registering a right of use as described below is also available. First, a server which provides a service transmits to a client apparatus a uniform resource locator (URL) of an authentication page for granting a right of use (invite_page_url, hereinafter, referred to as an authentication URL). The authentication URL is presented to a user when it is displayed or printed by the client apparatus. Then, the user accesses the authentication page in accordance with the authentication URL, by using an apparatus provided with a browsing function, and requests the server to issue an access token. In response to the request, the server issues the access token to the client apparatus. Accordingly, the client apparatus becomes able to utilize the service by using the access token issued as described above.
In the server which provides a service as described above, in order to reduce the risk that the authentication URL is utilized by a third party who is not the user of the client apparatus, a validity period may be set for authentication processing using the authentication URL.
However, for example, in the case where the authentication URL is printed by a printer, a long time may be required to perform printing, due to various factors including waiting for permission of printing by the user, waiting for completion of another printing process, recovering from various errors, and preparation for a recording material and a paper sheet, and the like. Thus, when printing of the authentication URL is completed and the user accesses the authentication page in accordance with the authentication URL, the valid period for authentication based on the authentication URL may have already expired.
If the valid period of the authentication URL expires, not only acquisition of the right of use (access token) will fail but also a paper sheet and a recording material used to print the authentication URL will be wasted.